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Breaking News! New Personality Marker Accounts for Meh

Shamus Richards from Grand Rapids, Michigan, recently attended a mandatory health program offered by his employer. The program had “exciting” new information about personality distinctions. Turns out, in addition to the standard introvert and extrovert markers, there’s a new one on the spectrum called ambivert. Unfortunately, Richards left the program with more questions than he came with.

“Look, it took me forever to figure out if I was an introvert or an extrovert,” Richards explained. Now they tell me there’s a third choice?”

Personality traits exist along a continuum and the vast majority of us aren’t introverts or extroverts — we fall somewhere in the middle. Scientists conducted a research in the field of personality phenomenon and concluded that two-thirds of people don’t strongly identify as introverts or extroverts.

“It makes sense,” explained Richards, “even as a kid I preferred to walk around naked, but I’m not an extrovert because I still do it in the privacy of my own home, in the dark, with all the blinds shut and only my computer on. And yet, I’m not really an introvert.”

But there’s good news for the ambivert, they have an advantage because their personality doesn’t lean too heavily in either direction, and they have a much easier time adjusting their approach to people based on their situation.

Richards pondered this idea. “If you’ve ever been called a chameleon, then you might be an ambivert. Or just the most easy-going guy, like me.”

How do you know if you’re an ambivert? If you identify with these statements, then you might be one:

I can perform tasks alone or with a group.

Social settings don’t make me uncomfortable, but become tedious.

Being the center of attention is fun, but only so much.

Some people think I’m quiet, while others think I’m hilarious.

I don’t always need to be moving, but get bored if I do nothing.

I can get lost in my own thoughts and tune everyone out; or not.

Small talk is fine for a while, but too much makes me want to drink.

The trick to being an ambivert is knowing when to lean to one side. With practice, ambiverts can become very successful in the workplace.

“Duh, if they work with people.” Richards said. “I work with computers, so once again I’m just stuck in the middle.”